Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Cigna Corp. will become the first
U.S. health insurer to require genetic counseling nationwide
before it pays for tests for hereditary breast and ovarian
cancer, a move that may threaten sales for Myriad Genetics Inc.

The policy affects tests for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, the
most common cause of hereditary breast cancer, as well as genes
for hereditary colon cancer and a heart abnormality called long
QT syndrome, David Finley, a national medical officer for the
Bloomfield, Connecticut-based insurer, said in an Aug. 16
interview. It takes effect Sept. 16.

Cigna’s ruling may cut sales growth for Myriad if other
insurers follow suit. The company’s diagnostics helped generate
$613.2 million in revenue in the fiscal year ended June 30, and
sales are projected to rise 13 percent in fiscal 2014, according
to 19 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The BRCA tests,
costing as much as $4,000, generated 85 percent of revenue.

Forcing patients in advance to use counselors “is bad for
Myriad’s business,” said Ellen Matloff, who heads cancer
genetic counseling at the Yale Cancer Center in New Haven,
Connecticut, and was a plaintiff in the recent U.S. Supreme
Court case that successfully challenged portions of the
company’s gene patents.

Counselors may determine that women need other tests not
sold by Salt Lake City-based Myriad or that their cancer risk is
low and they don’t need BRCA testing, she said.

‘Wrong Test’

Myriad fell 1.5 percent to $27.01 at the close in New York.
The company’s shares have declined less than 1 percent this
year. Cigna rose less than 1 percent to $77.43 and has gained 45
percent this year.

“Too often the wrong family member is tested or the wrong
test is ordered, so this program will ensure that individuals
receive appropriate testing and support when it’s necessary,”
Rebecca Nagy, president of the National Society of Genetic
Counselors, said in a statement.

The bad BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, the most common cause of
hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, are present in roughly 1
in 400 women, giving them an elevated risk of the disease.

Bloomberg News reported last year there is a general lack
of training and understanding among doctors about complex
genetic tests, creating the potential for catastrophic errors
that may go undetected for years. A 2010 study done by ARUP
Laboratories, a nonprofit lab affiliated with the University of
Utah, found that 30 percent of orders for complex gene tests
contained mistakes in handling by clinicians.

‘No Evidence’

“There is no evidence that doctors have been over-utilizing BRCA testing for their patients,” Ron Rogers, a
Myriad spokesman, wrote in an e-mail. “We look forward to
working with Cigna to continue to provide the best possible care
for its members.”

All the BRCA tests the company performs for Cigna are done
within the health insurer’s general guidelines, he said.

Myriad sent the statement after canceling an interview with
an executive. The company decided “not to do any phone
interviews on this subject,” Rogers said in his e-mail.

Cigna’s Finley said the policy was put into effect because
the breast, colon and heart gene tests “are commonly performed,
they have big consequences and they are frequently
misunderstood.”

“We want to make sure these tests are being used according
to national guidelines, that our customers are receiving good
quality care and that we are not paying for tests with no
clinical value,” he said.

Medical Guidelines

Some doctors may not follow medical guidelines for testing,
may not fully understand the criteria for genetic testing or may
accede to patient demands for an unneeded genetic test, Finley
said.

Cigna expects to roughly break even on the program, Finley
said, as any savings from eliminating inappropriate tests will
be mostly offset by higher reimbursement for counseling. The
program will affect about 70 percent of the company’s U.S.
members, he said. Genetic counseling services are available by
phone under the Cigna program.

The biggest U.S. health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc.,
recommends genetic counseling for certain patients, said Tyler
Mason, a spokesman for the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company.
He didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail asking whether the
carrier might require counseling like Cigna.

Jill Becher, a spokeswoman for Indianapolis-based WellPoint
Inc., the second-biggest insurer, said the company doesn’t
require a certified genetic counselor.

WellPoint Policy

“Our policy for genetic testing, such as BRCA, indicates
that genetic testing is appropriate only when offered in a
setting with adequately trained health-care professionals to
provide appropriate pre- and post-test counseling,” Becher
wrote in an e-mail.

Peter Beitsch, a surgical oncologist in Dallas and
president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, said
doctors are educated enough to provide appropriate counseling on
the test in straightforward cases.

The policy “is too rigid and will restrict women’s ability
to get the testing they need,” Beitsch said in an e-mail.

It’s been a difficult year for Myriad. The company lost its
long-standing monopoly in the U.S. on BRCA tests in June when
the Supreme Court invalidated key parts of Myriad’s patents on
the genes.

In July, Myriad sued Ambry Genetics Corp. and another
closely held company that introduced BRCA tests, saying the
competing tests violate other Myriad patents. Ambry, in a
countersuit filed in August, said Myriad is misusing its patents
to “intimidate and chill competition.”